


a million times over

by foundmyhome



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Cute, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-03-19 16:23:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3616401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foundmyhome/pseuds/foundmyhome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>post 4x15.  Killian takes Emma on a date on the Jolly Roger.  Even if Gold has something up his sleeve and everyone is on edge and basically the whole town is barely keeping its head above water- things will be alright.  Killian makes it alright.  Because the Savior might not get a day off, but that doesn't mean she can't have a night out with her boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a million times over

“Killian, where are we going?” The laughter bubbled inside of her chest and slipped from between her lips. Her heels were ridiculously high, her dress too short to be considered entirely appropriate, but her boyfriend didn’t seem to notice or care. He had demanded she’d close her eyes, his hook resting against her hip while his hand wrapped around hers, pulling her at a quick speed somewhere.

He tsked, his breath hot against her neck. She shivered, not realizing he was so close. “It wouldn’t be a surprise,” he murmured, pausing his sentence to press a light kiss against her neck, “if I told you, would it, Swan?”

Swallowing another bout of giggles, Emma sighed dramatically. “I guess not.”

Regina was still miserable, Gold was still plotting, and her mother was still having nightmares; but things would never not be crazy. Emma’s life would never be simple and it would never be easy. But Henry wanted to spend time with his other mother and her parents needed a night off to relax with her brother and Emma was tired of fighting. So she put on a pretty dress and let Killian plan a pretty evening and she was damn sure that even if everything was falling apart, he would hold them all together.

Because even though he’d never said the words and her throat closed up when she tried to say them to him, he loved her. He loved her and she was his happy ending and that’s all that she really needed to know.

“We’re here, love.” His hands dropped hers, his arm leaving her side. Taking a deep breath, Emma cocked her head. It smelled like the ocean and vanilla and her favorite noodle casserole.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t terribly surprised to see Killian’s beaming face and the Jolly Roger in the background. She could see onto the deck, where candles were lit and a small table set up.

“Your lad might’ve helped me carry the table,” Killian admitted. Emma grinned, raising an eyebrow. His cheeks tinged pink and he scratched the back of his ear. “And Granny might have had a hand in the casserole.”

Emma stepped closer, sliding her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his chest. “It’s perfect.”

His face softened, the way she loved, the way it always did when he looked at her, and he tucked a curl of hair behind her ear. “As are you.”

She pressed her face into his chest, blushing. Even though they were on the docks during daytime and anyone could see them, Emma didn’t have it in her to be embarrassed to basically be snuggling against Killian. Not anymore.

“I’m starved.”

He grabbed her hand, grinning. “Then it is my duty to feed the princess.” In a movement that was entirely too coordinated to be spontaneous, Killian scooped her up, his arms cradling her against him, bridal style.

“Killian!” Emma squealed, desperately pulling at the thin material clinging too high on her thighs. “This dress is not the kind of dress to be manhandled in.”

Raising an eyebrow, Killian smirked. “On the contrary, love,” his voice dipped low, his tongue peaking out to wet his bottom lip. “That is exactly what kind of dress that is.”

He carefully sat her in the chair, bowing to her while suppressing his own laughter. He sat across from her and began to dish the pasta onto her plate, adding too many servings for a single person. Emma was sure that even Henry wouldn’t be able to eat that much.

“Woah, there.” Emma laughed, holding up her hand to stop him. He rolled his eyes and upheaved the spoonful anyway, before adding some to his own plate.

Taking a small bite of the food—and damn him, it was delicious—she looked around the ship. It had been a long time since she’d seen it. Since Neverland. She shuddered at the memories, at the pain she could remember ricocheting inside of her chest constantly until Henry was back in her arms. Killian shrugged out of his jacket, smiling softly as he offered it to her. Although she wasn’t particularly cold, Emma knew it would smell like him, and accepted it.

The Jolly Roger looked cleaner than Emma remembered. But that made sense, what with Killian just getting it back that week. He had probably been here every second he wasn’t with her, cleaning and rememorizing his home.

“What do you think?”

If Emma didn’t know any better, she’d swear her pirate sounded nervous. “About the ship?”

“Aye.” His eyebrows were drawn, his gaze focused on the plate below him.

“I’m certainly liking it a lot more this time,” she leaned back, closing her eyes. “It smells like the ocean and like—“ she bit her lip to keep from laughing, “a little like pinesol.”

Emma opened her eyes to see Killian nodding emphatically. “The lemony cleaning liquid? Your mother told me it would make the wood shine." 

Emma smiled. “The last time I was here, it was a way to save my son.” She looked around, nodding once. “Now, it’s your home. I love it.”

Killian didn’t reply, but his cheeks were red, and she knew he understood what she was saying. They ate in silence for a few more moments before Emma noticed him staring behind her, towards the sea.

“Did you miss it?” She gestured around her.

Killian glanced around, his eyes landing on the mast. “Aye.”

“I’m sorry you had to give it up.” She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. She’d never ask him to do it, but he had for her, for her family. He’d given up his home.

Killian’s hand closed around hers. “I’m not. I’d give it up a thousand times over. I’d give up anything.”

Emma’s throat was dangerously close to swelling shut again, and her eyes were tearing up at that rapid pace he could always bring out of her, but she cleared her throat. “For me?”

His eyes flickered across her face, searching. His lips were pulled into her favorite smile and his head was cocked, his whole body leaning towards her. “A million times over, Emma.”

Emma’s head felt dizzy. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him how she felt—wasn’t sure she ever would be—but surely he knew. She’d shown him.

But he’d shown her, too, long before he uttered a single word. That didn’t make his words any less remarkable. Didn’t she owe him something?

“I would, too.” The words came out fast, rushed, the expulsion of air from her lungs carrying every syllable. Her hands were shaking and her vision was blurry. “I would—you’re mine, too. You and Henry. You’re my—“

There suddenly wasn’t enough air in her lungs. She hated her past in a way that she hadn’t for a long time. Because everything she wanted to tell him was bottled in her heart and she couldn’t forklift it out of her chest for all the world.

But Killian was suddenly at her side, his hand cradling her face and his lips pressed against hers. He kissed her softly, giving her the air she couldn’t get herself. 

And it wasn’t everything. It wasn’t what she wanted to tell him. But when he pulled away, his whole body seemed lighter. His face lit up, his eyes shining and his mouth open in surprise and Emma knew it was enough.

Later, when her family asks how the “candlelight date” went, she would leave out their teary eyed confessions. And definitely the not-so-tearyeyed, much more horizontal aftermath of those confessions. But she would tell them that the Jolly Roger was here to stay, permanently, come hell or high water. Because even if it didn’t mean so much to Killian, if all their dates on the ship went like that one, it would easily become her favorite place in town.

**Author's Note:**

> For the drabble prompt: "Emma's response to seeing the Jolly Roger for the first time" from o-u-a-timer on tumblr! Hope you enjoy!


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